The present invention generally relates to what is commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cprotective packagingxe2x80x9d, and more specifically to components utilized in protecting goods to be handled or shipped, and the materials utilized to fabricate such components.
A packaging component may be defined as a material, or plurality of materials, selected and designed for the purpose of providing specific packaging properties or a range of properties. These materials would be used in such a manner as to construct or fabricate packaging components. Examples of packaging materials would be paper, corrugated paper, fiber board, polyurethane foam and boards, expanded polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, steel, aluminum, wool, and the like. Virtually any other material deemed appropriate for the packaging challenge at hand could, of course, be employed.
A packaging component as an engineered device communicates with the object actually being packaged in such a manner as to preferably provide for the optimum level of packaging protection achievable. Examples of engineered packaging components would be a plastic bag, a corrugated carton, a wood or paper pallet, a corrugated slip sheet, an aluminum can, an expanded polystyrene corner, a xe2x80x9cfoam in placexe2x80x9d construct made of polyurethane foam, and plastic bubble wrap, just to name a few. Obviously, the aforementioned list is far from comprehensive. More specifically, for the purposes of this disclosure, the terms xe2x80x9cpackagingxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cprotectionxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9ccushioningxe2x80x9d are intended to refer to all of the processes and factors relevant to ensuring the safety of an item or items during the xe2x80x9cmaterial handlingxe2x80x9d process. Additionally, for the purposes of this disclosure, the term xe2x80x9cmaterial handlingxe2x80x9d is intended to refer to all of the processes and factors relevant to the staging, organization, storing, location, loading, movement, shipping, unloading, wrapping, containment, tracking, protection, and overall xe2x80x9csafety and preservationxe2x80x9d of goods and materials.
As illustrated above, a multitude of various packaging materials exists today. Even more staggering is the number of packaging components constructed of these materials. The principal criteria for determining the selection of materials and the subsequent design of the packaging component are usually performance and economy. Virtually any packaging challenge can be addressed effectively when only performance parameters are considered. However, when economic factors are taken into account, the task can become quite challenging.
One of the most formidable tasks in the field of packaging materials is to provide a packaging component which can successfully protect from damage the sharp edges of heavy cumbersome objects, such as porcelain sinks, bathtubs, toilets, etc. Existing packaging material and the components made therefrom for such heavy cumbersome objects are not entirely satisfactory in their mechanical performance, do not meet the requisite cost constraints, and simply do not provide an adequate performance-to-costs benefit.
For example, in the case of a porcelain bathtub, the bathtub itself is a cumbersome shape that is not easily packaged. Also, the bathtub""s edges themselves, with their typical dimensions, add to the difficulty of packaging an already cumbersome shape. Furthermore, these edges (on units that are to be installed versus freestanding) tend to be sharp, may tend to cut through the packaging component and may subsequently damage other objects or the bathtub itself.
Currently, the protection of sharp edges on such heavy cumbersome objects, and the protection of heavy cumbersome objects themselves, is accomplished by utilizing a quantity of homogeneous materials sufficient to provide the desired level of performance. For example, numerous layers of corrugated fiberboard may commonly be used to provide a level of cushioning. However, in order to facilitate ease of package assembly, the layers of the corrugated fiberboard often need to be adhered together. This procedure requires additional material, weight, labor, while adding to the cost of the packaging component and overall package design.
Returning to the example of the bathtub, corrugated cardboard would be wrapped around the bathtub until the sharp edges were adequately protected. This would, in general, require large amounts of corrugated cardboard. Furthermore, standard corrugated cardboard is typically limited in its ability to cushion and conform to the cumbersome shape of the bathtub. The same might be true of the use of bubble wrap, for example, which has the added risk of being easily cut by the sharp edges.
Another solution currently utilized would be a custom-designed component fabricated from polyethylene foam, for instance. This tends to be a relatively expensive resolution to the problem in view of the cost of fabricating the component. Again, in the case of the bathtub, a polyethylene foam component could be custom-designed for the bathtub. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such a foam component might well be quite expensive to create.
It is most desirable to support or package an item within a container in such a manner as to position the main supporting members of the packaging component so that they communicate with as much surface area of the packaged item as possible. Stated differently, it is considered desirable to avoid placing main supporting members of the component in direct communication with load-carrying sharp edges, thus avoiding the possibility of the sharp edges of the item cutting through the main supporting members of the packaging. In numerous instances, the packaging professional, due to various constraints or circumstances, must place the main and/or secondary supports of the packaging component relative to the surface being supported in such a fashion as to cause the main supporting packaging material to come into direct contact with sharp, weight-carrying surfaces. This situation presents a special challenge to the packaging professional. To summarize, then, an efficient packaging component would advantageously provide a support mechanism that will hold the product steady, while also resisting the shear and other forces generated by the movement of any sharp edges of the packaged item. Additionally, the packaging component desirably should be environmentally friendly (e.g., biodegradable and recyclable), as well as being cost-effective.
Component designs of the prior art do not optimally address all of these requirements. Thus, packaging components for protecting the edges of heavy, cumbersome objects heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved packaging component, and particularly one that will steadily hold and support a heavy, cumbersome object. It is another object of the present invention to provide a packaging component that will effectively resist the shear forces, as well as other forces, caused by sharp edges of a heavy, cumbersome object which come into contact with the packaging component.
Along with these and other ends, the packaging component of the present invention additionally provides a cost-effective and competitive solution to the problems of packaging a heavy, cumbersome object, particularly those with sharp edges. Furthermore, in its preferred form, the present invention meets the additional objective providing a packaging component that is biodegradable and/or recyclable. Moreover, the invention additionally provides a packaging component that can be manufactured easily and relatively inexpensively.
These and other ends are met in the present invention, which in one aspect comprises a packaging component having an elongated base material and a cushioning material affixed to the base material. The packaging component has been formed in one embodiment with the cushioning material beings cellular corrugated paper, and affixed to a substantially flat generally rigid fiberboard. In a preferred form, the fiberboard is formed into an L-shape having an inboard side defined by the interior angle of said L-shape and an outboard side, with the cellular corrugated material located on the outboard side of the fiberboard.
A system for packaging objects is also provided, by the invention, comprising a flat cushioning section, of material operatively attached to a fiberboard section, and a primary containment unit. A method is likewise provided comprising the steps of providing an object to be packaged, attaching a flat, cushioning section to a fiberboard section and conforming the flat, cushioning section to the object.